


Nemo

by Oblivion_Wanderer



Category: Pacific Rim (Movies)
Genre: Newtvember
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-13
Updated: 2014-11-13
Packaged: 2018-02-25 04:57:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2609336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oblivion_Wanderer/pseuds/Oblivion_Wanderer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes Newt goes out to stare out at the ocean. Whether its just to calm his nerves, or just because he can, it gives him time to think and reflect.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nemo

**Author's Note:**

> Newtvember #12- another fic!
> 
> Originally a first drafted idea back when I was writing my fic for the PR Mini Bang, mostly formed from a headcanon (explained in summary). Just a few instances of Newt reflecting on his thoughts at various points.
> 
> Title from Nemo, by Nightwish.

Sea wind- salty, light and chilled air- blows across the expanse on water that seems to continue out into infinity. It is a vast land, but also from where the monster's from oblivion rise. The clam surface was peaceful for now, but everyone knew what lurked under the waves of this ocean, and this ocean alone.

And here... Here at the edge of a great base sat a lone scientist. He sat there staring out into the ocean, listening to the waves lapping up against metal and concrete. His legs hung over the edge and he could feel the sea wind blowing by, caressing his face with its soft breeze. The man gave a huff and rubbed his arms, feeling cold. Sometimes even the leather coat he wore was not enough to keep him warm, but today seemed like a good day.

The sound of waves calmed Newton (Newt, as he preferred to be called) for some reason; a reason unknown to him, but it was just that way. Despite the storm that waited under the waves, being in this scene, looking out to the sea, calmed him. Sometimes it was just to be alone when he was stressed out, or sometimes it could be just because he could. Even at night he could hear the waves; water crashing against metal in a steady rhythm. It was constant but after hearing it for so long, Newt liked to hear the sound as he drifted off to sleep (whenever he decided to because he usually worked for days on end and got little sleep much of the time). Sometimes he even came out at night.

Today was indeed a nice day. Newt never came out often because he mostly stayed within the Shatterdome, or more so the lab to be accurate, but he figured today was a good day to venture out to his usual spot where he sat and observed the movement of the water.

Checking the time on his phone, Newt figured he had been out here for almost an hour. It was probably time to go back inside.

“Heh. Hermann's probably wondering where I am.” Newt said to himself, brushing on his clothes as he stood.

 

* * *

 

“Where have you been?” Gottlieb asked when he walked back into the lab. Well, that wasn't unexpected.

“Just out. Nothing to get worked up about.” He replied, taking off his jacket and putting it over the back of his chair.

“Whatever the reasons, there is work to be done; no time to be dawdling about.”

“Pfft. Dawdling.” Newt snickered. He sat down in his desk chair and turned on his laptop. Gottlieb was right about one thing- they both had a dual report due for the marshal soon. Besides, the Kaiju waited for no one.

In the meantime... Newt glanced over at Gottlieb and, in a quick thought of deciding to have a little fun, took a piece of paper and crumpled it up. Newt called out “Think fast!” before he tossed the crumpled paper and watched as it lightly bounced off the side of his college’s head. That was followed by a death glare over to Newt.

“You are such a child.” The physicist growled.

“Oh, lighten up, will ya'?”

“Only when you start acting your own age for once.”

“Well, you know me, so...” The words died in his throat, but not in an unpleasant way.

 

* * *

 

While the everlasting waves had a calm effect, sometimes he felt afraid of them. Sometimes they appeared in times when Newt suffered a nightmare. He'd see the ocean, he'd feel the water, and he'd see the Kaiju looking at him.

Newt wrapped his arms around himself as he gave a sigh and looked down into the water. Such terrible and marvelous creatures swam deep under the surface. He studded them in all their awe, many of them inked onto his body. Well, the Kaiju were just laying in hiding under the ocean for now, or wherever it was they came form. Soon enough another one would rise out from the depths, and another Jaeger would be deployed to fight. Samples may or may not be given to Newt, and he could continue on.

The biologist was so transfixed on the motion of waves that he didn't notice a person coming to sit down next to him.

“I didn't know you came out here, Newt.” They spoke- a female voice.

Newt looked over. “Oh. Hey there, Mako. Come to join me on this fine day?”

“I just saw you out on the dock and wondered why you were here.”

“Aw, admit it; you thought I looked lonely out here by myself.” Newt laughed. “Just kidding. I... like being out here sometimes.”

Mako nodded. “We all have to get away from it all sometimes.”

“I guess so. I love my work, but, I don't know, being out here is... sorta calming.”

“Were you fighting with Dr. Gottlieb again?”

Newt grinned at her. “Nah. I just kinda wanted to be out here.”

She shrugged. “We all have something that relaxes us, maybe this is yours.”

“That would seem like the most reasonable explanation, wouldn't it? You can stay here if you want; I don't bite.”

“While I would like to, I have some matters to attend to regarding the Mark III restoration.”

“Oh yeah, I forgot you were working on that. Keep that up and you'll be a pilot for sure.”

He heard Mako laugh through her breath. “Maybe.”

“That's your dream, isn't it?” Newt asked.

“I don't know if I'd go so far as to say a dream, but I'm still working at it.”

“Cool.”

“Do you have a dream, Newt?”

He blankly looked up at Mako, but turned away and put his gaze to the ocean as he pondered this. A dream...

“Yeah. To be a rockstar... and survive this war.”

 

* * *

 

“You got a dream, Hermann?”

Gottlieb looked over at Newt, who sat at his desk. The biologist was staring at some fixed point on his desk. He'd only returned fifteen minutes ago, but hadn't said a word until now.

The physicist glanced up at the chalkboards where he had written his equations.

“Yes. Survive.”

He heard Newt sigh, and he looked back to see his colleague laying his head on crossed arms.

“Me too.”

 

* * *

 

He didn't know why he was out here again. Recently he'd been through two Drifts, almost taken hostage- or worse- by a Kaiju, and the very near end of the world.

Yet, here Newt was; sitting on the docks and watching the waves roll below him.

He gave a sigh, running a hand through his hair. The biologist was still tired from the whole ordeal, but he had been assured there wasn't anything to be immediately concerned about regarding his two Drifts. Maybe that was because the addition of Gottlieb had balanced it out. However, he'd had a few nightmares since Post-Breach closure, and the ocean was a common theme. It made him nervous, but Newt had still eventually found himself outside by the water.

When he heard the soft sound of a cane, he had no need to guess who it was approaching him.

“I hope you're not contemplating on jumping.”

Newt looked up over his shoulder to see Gottlieb looking down at him.

“Nah, I'm not an idiot. Why would I do that?” Newt answered with a shrug.

“Because you appear as if you've been lost in thought with how you've been staring out into the water. How long have you been out here?”

“Not long; and don't worry, I'm not gonna jump in and try to find the Breach and join the Kaiju.”

“I hope not.”

He nodded and looked back out to the distance of an infinite horizon. “It just calms me.”

“You mean the ocean?” Gottlieb questioned.

“Yeah. I can't explain it, and I've never really figured out why. I guess it just soothes my nerves, you know?”

“I don't know if I can share your sympathies, not after all that's happened.”

“You're telling me, but... I don't know why I find myself out here at times.”

“So no reason then?”

“No reason.”

Gottlieb made a low hum of approval and eased himself down onto the dock so he could sit next to Newt.

“This would explain where you go when you leave the lab sometimes after we've fought. You come here, don't you?” The physicist asked.

“Don't make fun of me, dude.” Newt grumbled. “I kinda got mixed feelings since almost getting eaten by Otachi, so, like I said, I don't know why I'm out here.”

Newt hadn't turned his gaze up yet, but he flinched when he felt Gottlieb put an arm around him, just as he had done not so long ago. He looked at Gottlieb questionably, only to find the other was staring off into the ocean now as well.

“I saw it, though I cannot understand your reasons ether.” He said quietly. “Seeing you alone out on the docks was just a memory fragment I retained from our Drift, if anything.”

Yeah... They had Drifted. It made sense that Gottlieb had seen snippets of Newt's memories, and vice versa. The fact that he had recognized something like that was just pure chance, but no one could control what their partners saw in those visions of blue. They still hadn't talked about it yet. Did they need to? Some said when you Drifted with someone there's nothing to talk about. Newt wasn't sure whether that was true or not.

Maybe that's why he had come here in the first place, to reflect on things as usual. Maybe now they could talk.

“Should we talk?” Newt suggested.

“Only if you want to.” Gottlieb replied. “I admit, when I didn't see you in the lab I became worried, but then I remembered this and came to find you. Were you trying to find a quiet place to think about our Drift?”

“I don't know, but I think this is what I needed.”

“I feel the same.”

Newt smiled and nodded, leaning against Gottlieb.

“Okay. Let's talk.”


End file.
